I decided to start this blog (2010) because my son, John-Robert gave me a One Year Bible for Christmas, the New Living Translation... reading it has changed my life... I post a daily Bible verse on my Facebook page every day and it has been well received... I thought that this would be a wonderful way to share part of what I read each day!... I hope that you enjoy it.

This Year 2012 I am going to do things a little different... not much...just a little. I am again reading through my One Year Bible (for the 3rd time). But I am also using "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word" by Joyce Meyer. This book is divided by putting scriptures under different categories so they can be used to speak over our life situations. Each day I will read a category of scripture and pick a scripture in that category to write about.

Friday, December 31, 2010

Proverbs 31:30-31 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

My Thoughts

My Grandmother is who I think about when I read this verse.... she was at one time beautiful, but never in my lifetime...yet she was always beautiful to me..... and she loved God with all her heart and all her soul...there wasn't anybody that she wouldn't help as much as she would help one of her own children.... and when she died even though she was 95 years old there were many people there...telling of all the things she had done for them... it was amazing to watch.... she is one person in my life that I never, ever doubted that they loved me with all their heart.... and Iwas not the only person that felt that way... this is how I want the world to remember me...as somebody that loved God with all my heart...and somebody that loved others with all my heart...I want to be remembered as sweet and kind....I want my family not to doubt for one minute that I am in heaven with God... how do you want to be remembered?

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Revelations 21:3-4 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home in now among his people! He will live among with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

My Thoughts

If somebody told you today do what I say... all day long and tomorrow your day will be beyond perfect...and you knew this person always told the truth and always kept his promises you would give this a try! God ask us for things as his followers... instead of living a day as he tells us...he ask us to live this life as he tells us....and then in our next life he will wipe away ever tear,, there will be no death, sorrow, crying or pain... yet somehow we have trouble doing the things that God ask of us... we just get too caught up in ourselves.... when I do my best to really try to do what God ask of me I think of it this way... "Today just today can I go without sin... can I do the good that comes to me to do?" .... and when I try really hard.... and make sure the Holy Spirit guides my way I can come pretty close... but when I get lost in all of life that is ahead of me...I get lost from God and I don't do it so well... God tells us in Matthew 6:34 "So don't ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself . Each day has enough trouble of its own." If I can learn that... and learn to keep my eye on God... and learn to only worry what God thinks about me... if I do my best every day, one day at a time to be the person that God ask me to be... it is a lot like trading this day of doing what God wants for another day of wonderful love and perfection! Today... just today I will do my best to make God pleased with my life...and tomorrow... well tomorrow I can give that to God to... but not until tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Proverbs 31:9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

My Thoughts

Some people have found their way to do just this thing...they fight for the rights of unborn babies, or they help the poor get assistance... some people get justice for people wrongly accused... these people amaze me!... their determination and strength... I myself have a hard time speaking up for myself when I find myself in an unjust situation... how do I do this for somebody else?? .... I believe that some people are destine to do amazing, wonderful great things... I often wonder what I am destine for... how do I fit into God's picture...I am just a normal person, with a basically boring life (I like it that way). How can I speak up for the poor and helpless??... I think one way is to just be kind, treat the poor and helpless like human beings, God children that are worthy of the same respect that I think I deserve... when we are seen treating people like people, being kind and sweet... when we make sure that we are never, ever seen mistreating another human being, another one of God's children...maybe just maybe we can change how one other person treats people.. and if that one person changes for a lifetime... then who will see them... what poor helpless person will be able to hold their head up higher?? So often people become poor and helpless because they feel "less than".... and the biggest thing we can so for a person that feels "less than" is treat them like they are a child of the most high God.... treat the with dignity and respect and kindness... each and every person on this earth was put there for a reason... each and every person on this earth was made and molded, shaped by God. Yet we put labels on people, we think we have the right to decide who is worthy of a hello. or a smile... we look down on people who have less who do less, most the time not knowing their situation, not knowing what put them where they are... when all we need to know is that they too are a child of God... so today when you go out into the world ... know that you speak for the poor and helpless when you speak to the poor and helpless...know that your kindness to the poor and helpless, your actions often speak louder than any words... your actions towards others, no matter how small can and will change lives... kindness is a hand up. Remember the power your words and actions have...strive never to be the final nail in any body's life... instead be the ray of sunshine that helps make something bloom.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Psalms 147:3-5 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

My Thoughts

I love this!.. God heals the brokenhearted, his understanding has no limit!!... he knows our hurts and our thoughts... God knows!!... that means we can go to God with anything!... so many times we go to God only with what we think is good a pure... or to ask forgiveness... then we try to find a person to understand our frustration, our broken hearts, our anger, our hurt... but God's understanding has no limit and we can go to God with all of that!!... God wants to make it better for us... God came that we could have life and have it more abundantly (John 19:10). If our hearts are broken, if we are angry or hurt we can't live abundantly until those things are all better...and God will make them better...but we have to be willing to talk to God about our anger, hurts, disappointments, broken hearts... and we need to remember that Gods understanding has no limits...none... not one!... God heals the brokenhearted, binds up their wounds... what breaks your heart today?... before you search out a friend to talk to about your troubles.. tell God!... this one is a hard one for me... I grew up, not always in church, and when I did hear people pray they talked to God so formally, only thanking him... or asking for comfort if somebody was sick... or asking for forgiveness for "sin"...not for specific sins.. just for "sin"... this journey through the Bible has taught me that I can tell God anything...and when I confess where I am weak he makes me stronger.... when I say God help me with these thoughts that I am having he replaces those thought with solutions... it never ceases to amaze me when God does that!... yet old habits die hard and often I go to God last instead of first...when I do go to God and things start getting better I look back at a day or a week I have wasted and know how much time I have lost because I forget God's understanding has no limit... I challenge you today, as well as myself to make God your first stop in every stiuation... when you think "I can't do this"... replace that with "God I feel like I can't do this... and here are the reasons why _____________... your word says that you understanding has no limit... Please help me to understand how to get through this problem, this day. Please stand with me and make me strong, please nudge my heart when I start to make a wrong decision, please God be with me every step of the way, for I know that you understand what I have to do and I want to do it right, God I need you to do it right.".... God understands! He heals the brokenhearted!

Monday, December 27, 2010

Zechariah 10:2b So my people are wandering like lost sheep; thy are attacked because they have no shepherd.

My Thoughts

The Lord is our shepherd... he will take us to the wonderful places....but we have to say behind him following him doing what he ask... God can't protect us if we wander off... because he give us free will... but when we stay beside him... listening to him... going where he leads us he will keep us safe... will storms come? Yes...but God will keep us safe in the midst of those storms... and he will take us to wonderful, beautiful streams where we can have all we could ever need... our part is not to get lost along the way ...and if we listen to God he has wonderful things in store for us!...I want to stay next to the shepherd, I choose to stay protected, and loved and card for.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Psalms 145:1-3 1 I will exalt you, My God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise you, yes I will praise you forever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; No one can measure his greatness.

My Thoughts

God draws near when we praise him...this is a wonderful verse to remember... to have always on the tip of our tongue.... when we are in distress, when we are worried, or anxious and just can't think if we arm ourselves with these words God will draw near to us... it is amazing, truly amazing how anxiety or anger will just melt away from your body when you praise God... a few months ago... after reading my Bible daily... after going to Bible study and finally learning how to call on God when I couldn't even think... I found myself in a common, stressful situation with someone that I know. This person (not in my household) can make me stressed in the blink of an eye... I am not even sure why... but it happens... I was in the presents of this person and I could feel frustration and anger building up inside me...I begin those thought of "I wish I could just say this"... "why do they always say that to me!".... and I stopped in my tracks...I begin to praise God... and thank God...over and over...this wonderful calm washed over me that was beyond amazing.... and instead of feeling angry and frustrated I was happy... I felt joy!!... I try to do this lots now... sometimes those old habits try and take over..sometimes I get home and think oh I should have just started praising God and I wouldn't be so upset now... then I tell myself it is never too late to praise God...and I start then.... and I get my calm peace ... the more do this the more it becomes what I think of to do. Anytime you hear yourself thinking sad, or bad thoughts....anytime you find the devil in your mind telling yourself that you are worthless or that you messed up and can't make it right... start praising God... chase the devil and his negativity away and watch, feel your mood change...when God is near evil can't flourish!!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Zechariah 8:6 "This is what the Lord of Heaven's armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God''s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven's Armies."

My Thoughts

Isn't it wonderful, truly wonderful that we don't have to do things all on our own!!... Isn't it wonderful that nothing is impossible with God...and isn't it wonderful that he uses all the power and strength and love to help us accomplish all that we need to do!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Zechariah 7:4-6 God sent this message: "Say to your people and your priest, 'During that these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and morned n the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? And even now in your holy festivals, aren't you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?"

My Thoughts

The people of Bethel had just ask God "Should we continue to morn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple's destruction, as we have done so for many years?"... this was God's answer. If we ask God should we continue to celebrate Christmas would he say the same to us? Sadly I believe that he would... we have let consumerism define what Christmas is...and it is more, more, more!... It often breaks a family...many people will pay for this Christmas well past next Christmas...we spend so much time shopping and buying that we are exhausted when we finally get together... one time when we were at my Dad's house for Christmas...my step mom raised her voice as she worked hard in the kitchen, she was tired and frustrated... somebody shouted out "Well now it's Christmas!"... because the frustration and exhaustion were so much a part of that day that the outburst was expected.... and I can see this scene playing over in many get together as we try to achieve the "commercial" version of the moment.... in some places here in the United States, where we ran to so we could worship God, people can't even say Merry Christmas... it has become Happy Holidays.... I do believe God would say the same thing to us... he might just say "Is this celebration, of my Son's birthday, really about Him...about my gift to you? Aren't you eating and drinking and giving presents just to please yourselves?".... I am guilty!!... I hope that I get the perfect present for my people... as much as for me, so I will have done it right and everybody will love me... I get tired and frustrated in the mad rush to do it all...then I am happy it's over!... I have enjoyed seeing people!!...being with my family... I stop and reflect for a while on how much I love everybody and I am happy we are all together...but did I stop, really stop and say "Happy Birthday Jesus!"... I have had the thought as I watched TV.... or shopped in the madness ... "Don't people remember what Christmas is suppose to be about?"...then I go about my business forgetting and shopping and hoping that I have bought "enough." The truth is no matter how much I spend I can't change any body's life.... but what life can I can we change if we make a true effort to celebrate Jesus at Christmas...if we take more than a moment to remember the season... if we buy less but with more love...if we stop and say "Thank you God" each time we open a present... lets take time this year to stop and remember to truly celebrate the perfect wonderful Gift from God.... and next year...when we start the shopping lets shower the people in the stores and restaurants, at work, at home...lets shower them with love and kindness as we get ready to celebrate... and if we are getting stressed and irritable lets see that as a sign, a reminder to slow down, do less and love more..so that this Celebration of Christmas will make God smile.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Zechariah 4:10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand.

My Thoughts

This is wonderful to know that no effort is too small.... God sees that effort... God understand that big things take small steps... think of this .... this man was building a Temple and God rejoiced to see Zerubbabel pick up the plumb like...that is a long, long way from the finishing of a Temple....but we never finish what we do not start. We should never, ever see a step we make toward serving God as too small... what if this had been Zerubbabel's only job in building the Temple and no one else could have done the plumb line, the Temple might not have ever gotten built if Zerubbable had not started.... what we do for God is never ever, not matter how small it might seem, insignificant...when God prompts us to start something we never know where it might lead.... we never know where the ripples end... we often tend to see the stones we drop in the water as being dropped in a small puddle.... only God know where what he ask us to do is going to lead... we need to always drop even our tinniest stones of goodness, and kindness and love because we never know when they are landing in the ocean...we never know just how far the ripples of our actions will reach... so never think a good work, no matter how small, doesn't matter because it does!...never miss the opportunity to start because God rejoices to see the work begin!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Revelations 13:10b This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.

My Thoughts

During the end of time Christians will endure persecution.... and we are expected to remain faithful... in our "politically correct" world we so often keep our mouths shut... sometimes we use the excuse of politeness and manners to keep our mouths shut.... worst of all we don't truly, on our own know the Word of God enough to defend it... so we keep our mouths shut. We need to be bold enough, strong enough to live our lives, to speak God's words... we need to learn and grow and remain faithful to God in all areas of our lives... so when times get harder... when evil gets bolder ... we are strong enough, wise enough, faithful enough... to remain faithful..... we need to learn to feel and hear the Holy Spirit inside of us, guiding and directing us and act on what the Holy Spirit is guiding us to do in all situations so that we are practiced in hearing God's voice, practiced in standing for God's word... practiced in doing right when everything around is doing wrong so when life gets harder... when evil works harder... we can fight the fight...we can know how to hear God so that we can remain faithful. It is like how the army teaches soldiers drills to go through and they practice over and over and over so when the moment comes...when they have to make a choice they make the choice to start the drill and the hard stuff follows automatically... We need to be armed with the Word of God... we need to me armed with the ability to always hear the Holy Spirit... we need to be "use to" depending on prayer and communication with God in all that we say and all that we do...so when we are placed in the heat of battle we automatically depend on God... and his grace takes over and keeps us faithful!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Zechariah1:3 Therefore, say to the people, "This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says, the Lord of Heaven's Armies.

My Thoughts

I love how God made it known twice in this scripture that it was it came from him that all we have to do is return to God and he will return to us!...No matter what we have done, no matter how far we have wandered... if we return to God he will return to us!! You might ask where God was when??.... it is important to remember that God does not leave us... we choose to leave God. We have that choice because God gave us free will.... God gives us the choice to love him and to choose him.... God gives us the choice to stay close or wander away... so when you feel that God is not near ask yourself where you have run to, what you have run to.... never forget that you can always return to God he loves us more than our minds have the capacity to comprehend!.... His is a perfect love and even when we choose to wander far away he loves us and is waiting there for us with his arms open wide.... and God's arms is an amazing place to be there you will find love, unconditional love, peace, amazing peace, comfort, strength, self worth, kindness and answers to your questions. I am so blessed that God was waiting for me!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Haggai 1:9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, while all of you are busy building your won fine houses.

My Thoughts

God was angry with these people because they forgot to put God first, they forgot God... they forgot to be thankful for all that God had given them....and they wanted more and more while they ignored the will of God. It is important to give back to God... it is important to give God his part... it is important not to get so wrapped up in ourselves that we forget to give to the Church, God's house... we need to remember that all we have is a gift from God... everything we have was given to us by him... all God ask in return is 10%... a small portion that says "God I know that all I have comes from you."... if we want our wealth to grow, if we want our country to prosper we have to learn to give back to the one who gave his son, his only son so that we can live forever!! When we are warm in the cold, cool in the heat...when we have clothes for out body, and food for our tummy we should never ever demand more toys when we have not given God his part... Sometimes we get ourselves in such a place that this is a hard thing to do, but God smiles down when he sees us making an effort... we start with what we can give...then as we get our lives in order we increase what we give until we are again able to give back ...when we do this God smiles down and you will be amazed, truly amazed at your ability to pay all the things you need to pay... to take care of all the things that come up... because when we give back to God... God's ability begins to work within in us and wonderful things happen.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Zephaniah 3:17 For the Lord you God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

My Thoughts

God delights in you with gladness... when we do good God is delighted!!... how wonderful is that!!... just think how you have felt when you child learned something new... how we delighted at our children's first steps.. or the first time they read a word... or when they walked down the isle... we were delighted! in them!!!... with them.. for them... when we grow as Christians...when we make the right choices... when we show love to one another God feels that same delight... but even bigger don't you think!!... When we take time to nourish our relationship with God we are more aware of his love for us...and when we are aware of God and all his glory we are able to feel the calm he gives us... two and a half years ago I had surgery and I was terrified... I was afraid... I was not even aware of what calm was.... two and a half weeks ago...after spending this whole year in God's word... getting to know God's promises for me... I had another surgery, this time I felt that peace that passes all understanding... I was totally without fear... God gave me his calm! God's calm was better than any drug you can take for calm.. it was amazing. I love imagining this last one.. God rejoiced over us with joyful songs... can you imagine what God's voice must sound like... we have heard people like Susan Boyle sing, and she must sound like an angel...imagine what God's voice sounds like ... and he rejoices over us with joyful songs!!! ... when we do the things God ask us to do he rejoices over us with his beautiful voice... Wow! How lucky are we that God loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us so that God could rejoice over us with song!!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Habakkuk 2:14 For as the waters fill the sea the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.

My Thoughts

We had a guest pastor not too long ago that talked about the earth being in sink with God's will so to speak... I believe this to be true... have you ever seen beautiful land on a lush hillside and the people in the tiny village starving?... just last night we watched where this village had people dyeing by the thousand for lack of clean drinking water, yet the rural city was surrounded by water... there are countries where there a cattle everywhere but the people worship the cattle, not God and they are all going hungry... God made the earth to be aware of the glory of the Lord... America was built on the freedom to worship God in the manner of our own choosing... but "To Worship God".... and while we were giving God the glory for all that is good, for all that we have... for all that we were able to accomplish we grew and grew... the land of America, when the earth felt us giving God the glory, we grew and flourished and became a mighty nation. Now we seem unaware of the fact that God is why we are who we are... we have become so full our ourselves that we have put ourselves in danger and if we continue to deny God the praise and thanks he is due our land, our money, our health will respond likewise... we need to stay constantly aware that God made the earth and all that is in it...and the earth will yield according to what we give back to God. So today when you eat, thank God. When you buy a Christmas present, thank God. When you sleep in a warm house, thank God. When you put on pretty clothes, thank God. When you are able to go to work, thank God. When you kiss your children, thank God. When your spouse is good to you thank God. When you thank God the earth will respond and amazing things will happen.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Proverbs 30:8b-10 Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

My Thoughts

How wise is this!!... Don't make me so rich that I forget you God...that I forget that all I have is from you... and don't make me so poor that I become desperate enough to do wrong and forget to depend on you...

We constantly want more, more, more... the TV tells us that we want more!... people at work tell us we need to buy more... our friends and family encourage us to have it all!!... in fact if we don't want more in America we must not have drive and ambition....so many people over the last decade "wanted" ... so much so ... that they risked their home that God provided them with so they could have more!... more clothes... more entertainment... more pretty things to sit around... they gave up important things like time with their families... moments to watch their kids grow all in the name of "having it all".... I read once that nobody on their death bed wish for more...they wish that had spent more time with the people they love... the person that wrote this Proverb was very wish to ask for "just enough.".. we want enough... enough to remember that God gave us what we have.... and if you are the person that says "God didn't give this to me I worked for it."... remember God gave you the health and the ability to do what you do so what you have did come from God!!... we need to remember that God in all his wisdom doesn't ask us to become rich... to work our fool selves to death so we can have it all... God ask us to love one another... and we can't do that if we are working ourselves to death to the point of exhaustion to pay for toys we don't even have time to play with... if we are exhausted it is had to be loving and kind... God says that loving one another is the most important thing we do... please don't give up the opportunity of love, love of family, love of friends, love of complete strangers... just so you can "have."

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

My Thoughts

So often we want to pick out the parts of the Bible that we like.... the parts that make us feel good about the areas that we are doing good in... but here the Bible tells us that EVER word of God proves true... so this tells me that we need to spend time in God's word learning all that he has to tell us... applying all of God's word to our lives... improving in the areas that we want to ignore because they are our weakness... the more we learn about what God has to say the more we can improve our lives... our quality of live... when we life outside the will of God we forfeit his protection... so the more we do that God ask us to do the safer we are... God loves to see us learning and improving, growing in wisdom and knowledge... in fact it tell us in the Bible to grow in wisdom.... God is telling us help me protect you by learning all you can about the promises I have made to you... All of what God offers is ours, all we have to do is ask for it...but we have to know what God offers to know what we can ask for... the more we know the more our life improves!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Proverbs 13:7 Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.

My Thoughts

How we feel about life is so much about how we choose to see our lives... the poor can take time to be aware of all that they have and they are rich in spirit... happy... joyful... then you can take a person that has it all.... and they focus only oh what the think is missing and feel so unhappy... they can actually feel poor because they see what everybody else has as something they don't have... In America, including many of the poor, we have so much... we have homes even if they are meager, we have heat, clothes, running water, food to fill our bellies...yet so many times we choose to focus on what we don't have.

I have heard many people complain about people coming here from poor countries and living 3 and 4 families to one house like that is a sin... like these people are doing something wrong... what they don't see is that even many people crowded in a little house, that has heat and running water, air in the summer ...these people are thankful!...because the came from a place where they probably lived in a mud hut with only one room and no running water or electricity and often times empty bellies...these people see what they have here in America as a luxury...they are happy like they are because they came from a place that was truly poor and they know to be thankful...

.God has given us so much in America and we need to be mindful and thankful for each and every thing that we have..I read once that today with all the automatic things we have... like running water and electricity, heat, air..that we live as good as people did 100 years ago that had a 100 servants... servants to keep the fire going... to fetch water from the well.. to fan them oh hot days... servants to weave the thread to make the fabric to make the clothes people wore....that planted the gardens so they could go and pick out what they wanted to eat.... we have so much.... "yet we pretend to be poor"... God has done so much for us yet we spend time telling God what we don't have instead of thanking God for what we do have. What do you have today that you have forgotten to notice?? I know I need to sit down now and thank God for so much!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Jonah 4:10-11 Then the Lord said, "You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I fee sorry for such a great city?"

My Thoughts

Do you ever worry that you have blow it and there is no way that God will forgive you!! Or do you ever decided that somebody else has blown it so much that you give up on them???I think most of us worry about that having blown it with God at some time or another.... I think most of us have had somebody in our lives that we didn't want to forgive... Nineveh was a huge city...with very mean people in it...murders... evil people of all kinds! .... Jonah didn't like these people because they had hurt people in his family, his friends...he didn't care if God saved this city...in fact he did not want God to save this city....but God sent Jonah anyway... God cared!!.. even though these people had been the worst of the worst... God still cared about these people of Nineveh... God softened their heart and made sure that they heard Jonah even though Jonah didn't give a long speech... Jonah only said a few words about God.... and the people heard what they needed to hear!!... God's heart is soft toward us... he wants us to be OK with him..... and God will soften the hearts of people that he sends us to speak to, when we have ourselves decided they are not worthy they are still somebody that God made and God cares...when God sends us... he prepares the people he sends us to...just like he prepared Nineveh to hear what Jonah had so say....never ever give up on yourself...and never ever give up on others...listen when God sends you!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Proverbs 29:25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.

My Thoughts

Wow!...I know I say that often about the verses I write about...but so much of the Bible is Wow!! when you take time to stop and absorb it...I have so enjoyed writing about some of the verses I read each day, I have learned so much as I listen to God tell me about them... when I read this verse I knew without a doubt that I would choose it today... so often we get in a trap of fear... fear of not being liked... fear of our boss... fear of loosing a friend... fear of what somebody might say or think.....we have seen teenagers and adults become a part of murder out of fear. When we develop a relationship with God, and it is up to us to develop that relationship, we can trust God to protect us... if we do what God ask of us we can trust God to take care of us...when we live inside the will of God we stand under his protection.... When we have God on our side we don't have to fear our friends, our enemies, our bosses, strangers or gossip.... even, even, even if we were to loose our life because we choose to live inside the will of God we are protect from hell... we will go to heaven and see God... God does not make mistakes... so we can not make a mistake by doing what God would have us do in every situation in our life... Have you ever seen one of those true movies or TV shows where the murder chooses to let somebody go and the murder doesn't even know why he chose to do that...I would be willing to bet that the person he let go was protected because they had done their best to live under the will of God and God has the power to take away our free will... God chooses to give us free will ... but God has the power to control our thoughts... if God can do that...and we know that he can...he can fix anything we need him to fix when we trust in him...even the heart of a bad boss, a jealous friend, someone that sees you as the enemy... the tongue of a gossip....God is in control we just have to choose to turn control over to God... When we trust in God we are protected by his great love... we we react in fear the devil smiles because he has found a way to control us... I would much rather live under the power of God's great love!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Revelations 3:20 "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together and be friends"

My Thoughts

Did you ever wonder what to talk to Jesus about??... well right here it says we can be "friends" with Jesus. We can tell him anything we would a friend!!... We can run to him when something good happens!!... When we are proud of something we have accomplished and tell him all about it!!.. and we can run to him when we have had a bad day, somebody has hurt our feelings, the boss has been unfair. We can tell Jesus when the devil is tempting us... Jesus is the best friend we can have... he can help us always... and when he tells us what to do it will always be in our best interest. Jesus is proud of our accomplishments without jealousy... Jesus is in our corner... our cheerleader. We choose what kind of relationships we have with Jesus...but right here in Revelations it says that Jesus wants to be our friend. Today when you have something on your mind, good, bad or anything in between and want to tell a friend, try telling Jesus first and see what happens.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Revelations 2:19 "I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things."

My Thoughts

The first thing this verse tells us is that we can not hide anything from God!.... we only fool ourselves if we think we can...he created the universe, he created everything in it.... something as all powerful as that knows everything about all that he created...he knows our actions and our heart.... more he knows our actions actually reflect our heart....Matthew 12:35 tells us this... so we nee too be very careful not to fool ourselves into thinking that our good thoughts make us a good person... if we want to believe our bad thoughts are the devil sneaking in and as long as we don't act on those thoughts we are not bad... we need to also believe that when we have a good thought it is the Holy Spirit speaking to us...and to be a good person we need to act on that good thought.... this verse also tells us that we need to have love, faith we need to serve others and we need to be patient on this earth and with this earth while we are waiting for the return of Jesus....and last, and this is very important, this verse tells us that God expects to see a constant improvement in the way that we serve him... he expects us to grow in love and faith, in service and in patient endurance... God expects us to grow, to learn, to get better and better... the person we are is wonderful, he made us, but God expects us to become better and better and he knows that we can!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Proverbs 29:20 There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.

My Thoughts
Wow!!... Wow!!... we all do this... we all go around talking and talking and talking... we talk about everything and everybody.... we talk things to death sometimes... we jump in just to be heard. How different the world we be if we all stopped talking just for even a day!... what if we went about our day and truly thought about our words before we spoke them... what if ever time we were about to tell something about somebody... or comment to somebody about somebody else we stopped and ask ourselves just one question "Would I want somebody to say this about me?" and if the answer is "No" we didn't justify what we were about to say, we just kept our mouth shut....how much damage could be stopped... better yet what if we ask God "Are these words I am about to speak words I should say?" and we stopped and listened to the Holy Spirit inside of us and acted on that.... what a different place this world would be!!... Families and friendships would be stronger and more loving... the workplace would change in ways we can't even imagine...running into people would always be a good thing... today measure your words... today ask God to help you when you speak... and take time to notice the changes in your day...and when you like those changes remember what made your day better and do it again!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Proverbs 29:18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

My Thoughts

Sin can be so enticing even when we know better, the devil set sin up to look like so much fun. Gossip, to be the person "in the know" the person people are listening to at the moment.... the drunk, being the "life of the party," .... The over spender being the "big spender" and "having it all" and the list goes on and one... we feel the Holy Spirit pulling us one way... and the devil enticing us with false promises....lets look at each of these thing further...

Gossip... sure people listen for the moment...they they walk away...and they gossip about you gossiping... you run into the person you gossiped about and you feel great guilt, you heart is heavy... but if you had listend to the Holy Spirit no one would have been talking behind your back about you gossiping...and if they found something else to say you could hold you head up high because you knew it was not true..and then when your ran into the person that you "didn't" gossip about you could be happy to see them!!... filled with joy and not fear.

The drunk... for a few minutes you were the life of the party and at first when you were still a bit in control people were laughing with you...but at some time in the night people where laughing at you, talking about you...and the next day you body pays for what you have done... you fight with your spouce about your actions because you embarrassed them... you ran into somebody from the night before and you wonder if you did something to offend them... you worry... if you had listened to the Holy Spirit you would have had a good time without getting drunk..you may not have been the "life of the party" but you weren't the death of the party either... you can face people the next day.. your spouce can be proud of how you acted... your body can feel good and you can enjoy your week... with justfying anything from the weekend over and over in your head... there is great joy in not having to live with regret...

The over spender.. we have all done this... think we wanted something... felt really good when we paid for it...just to get it home and have that huge let down feeling... we think we impress people by bragging about what we have...what we just bought when the truth is those people that love us are going to love us anyway...when we over spend the devil robs us of so much by making us notice that moment of purchace and truning it into something bigger than what it is... in return people hide things from their spouce, hate the mail man because he brings in the bills... can't sleep and work more than they want to and in some cases end up loosing all that we worked so hard to have.... all because of those fleeting moments of the high they get from buying something that often times they didn't really even want... When we listen to the Holy Spirit in this matter we have peace when we can pay our bills... we have better relationships with our spouces because we have not been caught in a lie, our friends don't have to compete with us because we don't compete with them.... and one day we get to feel great joy when we pay off our house early... and on the peace and joy that comes every month for the rest of forever when we do that!!

All sin has a moment of that high that seems nice in the beginning... or we wouldn't do them.. but listening to the Holy Spirit has rewards that far out weight the "high" of sin... sometimes we have to wait for the reward...but we always have peace in the process... we have peace of mind in the process... we have a light heart in the process, we can face people and be proud to see them in the process... joy comes in those tiny moment in our day when our soul is free enough that we can stop and smell the rose.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Psalms 127:1-2 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builder is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do not good.It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

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My Thoughts

We can work all we want, struggle hard but we can not make a life that is safe and fulfilling without God in it... God expects us to do our part... but when we put God in all that we do God will do the part we can not do.... and God knows when we are tired, when we are at our wits end and he wants us to rest... he wants us to be able to be strong... he wants us to be able to be kind and loving and that is awfully had to do without proper rest... next time you find yourself not acting like God would want you to act and you know it is because you have pushed yourself to the breaking point...say a prayer to God... trust God to help you get things done and lay down and rest a while so that you can be the best you can be for God.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

3 John 1:11 Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.

My Thoughts

So often we see somebody doing bad and think they have a good heart...we excuse it... we excuse it in ourselves lots of times when we do something we know is wrong...but the Bible tells us that we prove by our actions that we are God's children... so many of the decision we think we have to ponder over should be straight cut answers if we are asking ourselves what God would want us to do... so today if you are pondering if you should or shouldn't do something ask yourself will this decision prove that I know God... then you will have your answer!.. I need to start asking myself this questions... I intend to start asking myself this question... I challenge you to do the same.

Monday, December 6, 2010

2 Timothy1:3 Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

My Thoughts

Wow to have somebody to constantly remember you in their prayers, what a gift that would be!!... what a gift that is!!... I had lots of prayers during my surgery and my recovery and those prayers where wonderful gifts to my life! Most all of us have had that Grandmother that prayed for us, always!.... but did we stop to think how important that was in our lives?... how much those prayers helped us will never be truly known but there is no telling how many good steps we made... how how much evil was chased away from our days by those grandmother's prayers! Those quick prayers so they won't be forgotten can change a day!!... Imagine what those prayer over us daily can do for our lives.... I know starting my day every single day in prayer has changed me!... I know that learning to pray for others has changed me...I know that prayer works! and when somebody says they are praying for me that touches me deep within my heart and makes me feel loved!...I use to send a quick prayer up when I told somebody that I would pray for them...and that was a good thing...but now I take time to write that person's name down on my prayer list... I assign them a certain day of the week and pray for them each and ever day that was set aside for them.... I try to keep in touch with people I am praying for, try this, it is amazing when I do this how I get a chance to know how much my prayers are working... that strengthens my resolve to keep others in my prayers... it is important that we never underestimate the power of prayer... when you see a friend in need, never think "I wish there was something I could do for them!"... there is always something you can do... you can always, always pray, prayer is the most important thing you can do for somebody!.... and when somebody tells you they have prayed for you thank that person, love them, know that what they did for you is the most important thing a person can do... know that they took some of their time with God, asking him to take care of you... their prayers for you, our prayers for others are no less important than if we were standing face to face with God and asking him to do something for us...imagine how much that would touch your life!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

My Thoughts

Faith is an amazing thing.... it makes us strong, able, wise, kind, loving ... Faith makes us all that we need to be! Faith in God that he will do all that he promises .... all it takes to defeat this world is faith. God shows himself all the time... we see what we look for ... and we need to look for ways that God has been there for us... when we are aware of how God has been there for us it strengthens our faith...and the stronger our faith becomes the stronger we become against this world and the evil that is all around us... the more we are aware of the ways that God has taken care of us...the more we will know that God will continue to take care of us... two years ago I had surgery...I was terrified!!...I had not learned to put my faith totally in God... last week I had surgery, I knew God had prompted me to go to the doctor and if God made sure I got to the doctor God was getting me through surgery!! The peace I had this time was amazing compared to the fear I had before... God gave me victory over my fear through my faith that he would take care of me! Faith for lots of reasons was a hard thing for me (the devil loved to make me question if God was taking care of me)... God built my faith through doing little things for me...and it made me know if God would do those little things for me he would do the important things for me.... if you struggle with your faith, if you have trouble knowing that God WILL take care of you start by asking for little things... and be aware of those things... build your faith my looking for what God does for you in your life.... I continue to ask for the little things, things that might seem strange to ask for.... but its those little things that remind me that God is always there. One of the little things I ask for recently was help with my Loom Knitting... I picked up my first loom and said to God "God please help me with this... I want to learn it and be good at it."...I have learned it...I am good enough at it that people ask me to make things for them...I have only been Loom Knitting for 3 months now and I can do all kinds of things...if God will help me with this, God will help me in surgery!... Ask God to help you today... pay attention... build your faith in God and when God answers one of those prayers for you this week let me know!!.... I love the stories of answered prayers!!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Love is grand... it is such a blessing.... it changes everything around us... love makes us whole... love makes us feel secure... love mends broken hearts... love makes babies grow....love changes people, places and things... love heals... Love is so powerful.... we all need it, we all seek after it... we look and search for love... at love is right beside us all the time... because God is right beside us all the time.... isn't it amazing that our capacity for love is endless... that our love can grow more perfect.... the more we feel loved the more able we are to love... the more we love the more love we get in return... you can never go wrong with love... I pray that God will put more and more love into my life...that the love in my life grows more perfect with each passing day.... I hope that my life with God grows in such a way that when I walk into a room that people feel love....Today I am so thankful for God's wonderful gift of LOVE.

Friday, December 3, 2010

1 John 3: 18-19 Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord.

My Thoughts

I remember being so relieved that the devil puts thoughts in our head.... and if we don't act on them, dwell on them that they belong to the devil... that I was not a bad person just because a bad thought popped up in my head...wow what a relief!! Then there is the flip side.... we are not good people merely because a good thought pops into our head... that after all is the holy spirit...and what makes us who we are is our actions...not our thoughts... now dwelling on those good thoughts is what leads to those good actions... and here in 1 John it tells us that "It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth"... So today when we think we should do something nice for someone, or say something nice to someone... we those nice thoughts pop up in our head lets do something toward being that good person that God wants us to be.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Psalms 121:5-6 The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

My Thoughts

Oh this is such a timely verse in my life!!... As most of you know I had surgery yesterday... and from the beginning I could feel Gods protection... in fact while I was reading my Bible just last Monday the word came to me as clearly in my head and anything I have ever heard or thought "Jeannie call Dr. Ayers right now."... now I would have thought I may need to call Dr Ayers or I need to call the doctors office today... but I know I would not have thought those very words...at that time of day, in the middle of reading my Bible... so I listened... I called Dr Ayers office.... I said I am not feeling good...and there is no rush but I need to make an appointment... well God was still looking down on me.... they booked my appointment for that afternoon.... when I got in I told Dr Ayers only 3 things that were going on with me...he asked me a couple of questions then with great certainty he said this is your Gallbladder I want to run some test... test were Wednesday...and on Monday (there were the holidays mixed in there)... Monday I got a call from the Dr office..my Gallbladder was working at 11%... it was blue when they took it out!!... I tell you this story because I know without a doubt that "The Lord himself" was watching over me!!...I "stand in his protective shade."... I believe that I would not have heard God had I not been reading my Bible... I just would not have know and would have reasoned myself out of needing to go to the Doctor... I pray that each and every person I know learns how to walk in the protective shade of the Lord...I wish I had learned how sooner...but am so happy that I have... God changes lives, I was a good and sweet and kind person... I tried to do what God wanted...but now I am so, so blessed because I have learned how to have a relationship with God... It is amazing how it has truly changed my life.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

1 John 2:11 But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

My Thoughts

So often when somebody wrongs us we feel hate, or a strong dislike for this person... it can consumes us at times... the Bible tells us that when people do evil that that is the devil causing the evil... evil has gotten hold of that person and used that person to get to us.... and it is easy to dislike people that do us wrong... but when we do, we choose to give the devil power over us...and we are also responsible for making the devil choose that person to use and torment because we allow the evil coming through that person to cause us to sin... the devil will torment that person, use that person to get to us, if we let the actions of another person get to us.... so when we hate another person we are tempting the devil to tempt them.... the best thing we can do for ourselves and for somebody that wrongs us is love them... love them with all our heart... pray to have love for them.... to be totally aware that the devil is using them... we need to chase the devil away with love...with the armor of God... we need to show goodness and kindness and love... we need to see these qualities as a shield that we are holding up against evil... the next time a person is mean and hateful to you, think of a way to show love to them... bake them a cake, buy them lunch, ask about their day... see these actions as your shield... can you imagine how far the devil will run if the evil in another person make you more loving!!...I can just see him getting really frustrated when he uses somebody to be hateful to us, to ruin our day....I see the devil standing there behind that person whispering into their ear to be hateful and ugly... grinning and waiting on us to react in an ugly way... can't you see the disappointment on his face when we return love and kindness, the devil will be so disappointed...lets use love in our day, in our actions to chase evil away!

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About Me

Hi there I am Jeannie. Rignt now in my life I get to be at home.... I am married to the love of my life, Robby a UPS Driver. I have two grown children.. Madison who is an Accountant and married to Cory and John-Robert who is about to be a teacher. I love spending time with my family. I love my animals and I love my church family at Life Chruch in RBC, Alabama.